Carton blank feeding apparatus



J. G. VERGOBBI 2,890,047 CARTON BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS June 9, 1959 Filed April 17, 1957 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lpldllnldlo I (/06), 4 Vegan BY 1? I F INVENTOR.

June 9, 1959 J. G. VERGOBBI CARTON BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 17. 1957 v -llnm/un H I HH INVENTOR.

Y Y -adiu United States Patent Ofi fice 2,890,047 fiatented June 9, 1959 CARTON BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS John G. Vergohbi, Quincy, Mass., assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass., at corporation of Massachusetts Application April 17, 1957, Serial No. 653,358 7 'Claims. (Cl. 271-26) This invention relates to carton blank feeding apparatus.

The invention has for an object to provide novel and improved carton blank feeding apparatus adapted to withdraw and transfer successive uppermost carton blanks from a stack thereof to blank advacing rolls and in which novel provision is made for retaining the underlying blanks in the stacks during the withdrawing operation whereby to prevent withdrawal of more than one carton blank at a time from the stack.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the carton blank feeding apparatus and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of carton blank feeding apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view detail showing the transfer mechanism in its advanced position;

Fig. 4 is a detail View in side elevation showing the transfer mechanism in its advanced position; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view of the blank retaining needle embodied in the present carton blank feeding apparatus.

, In general the present invention contemplates carton blank feeding mechanism adapted for use in a packaging machine wherein successive uppermost carton blanks are withdrawn from a stack thereof and transferred to feed rolls arranged to advance the blanks onto a conveyer or into operative relation to subsequent mechanisms for operation on the blank preparatory to forming the blank into rectangular shape to produce a carton, as illustrated in my United States Patent No. 2,694,966, issued November 23, 1954.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the withdrawing mechanism includes suction means engageable with the forward marginal edge of the uppermost blank and arranged to be rocked upwardly and forwardly to withdraw the uppermost blank and to carry it forwardly to present the forward edge of the blank into operative relation to the feed rolls. In practice it was found that at times an underlying carton blank would remain in frictional engagement with the uppermost blank and as a result two blanks would be transferred to the feed rolls. In accordance with the present invention, in order to avoid such double pickup by the suction mechanism a retaining needle is provided which extends vertically into and through the uppermost blanks in the stack at a medial portion adjacent the rear marginal edge of the blanks. In operation, when the withdrawing mechanism is rocked upwardly and forwardly, the uppermost blank carried thereby will be torn away from the retaining needle while the underlying blank or blanks will be retained in the stack by the needle.

The retaining needle is preferably spring pressed to maintain a constant downward pressure against the rear marginal edge of the stack, and, in order to effect sulficient penetration of the needle downwardly into the stack provision is made for rocking the needle on its axis first. in one direction and then in the other direction each cycle of operation of the withdrawing mechanism to cause the needle to penetrate deeper into the stack than would otherwise be possible by downward pressure alone without excessive distortion of the blanks or upward tipping of the forward end of the stack.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention is shown as embodied in a carton forming machine of the type illustrated in my United States Patent No. 2,694,966, dated November 23, 1954, wherein the carton forming blanks, herein shown as comprising fiat prescored blanks, are arranged to be fed from a stack 10 stored in a magazine 12 and advanced to adhesive applying mechanism, indicated generally at 14, and then to a conveyer or other support indicated at 16 into operative relation to carton folding mechanism, not shown. As herein shown, the uppermost carton blank in the stack is transferred between a pair of feed rolls 18, 20 by suction transfer means 22 arranged to withdraw the uppermost blank from the stack and to lift the blank upwardly and forwardly to present the forward edge of the blank to the feed rolls. The suction transfer means may be of a known type and includes a plurality of suction cups 24 carried by a hollow pipe 26 connected to a source of suction through a flexible hose 28, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. l. The pipe 26 is carried by parallel linkage 36 arranged to be operated from the carton forming'machine through connections including a cam operated linkage 32 and intermeshing segmental gears 34, 36 designed to rock the parallel linkage to effeet the transfer operation. The stack of blanks 10 may be kept at a constant level in the magazine by known elevating mechanism, generally indicated at 38, and which operates to automatically elevate the stack periodically to compensate for the blanks which have been withdrawn by the suction transfer mechanism 22.

During the advance of the prescored blank beyond the feed rolls 18, 20, strips of adhesive may be applied to selected portions of the blank by the rotary adhesive applying mechanism 14 whereupon the forward edge of the blank is again gripped between a second pair of feed rolls 40, 42 arranged to advance the blank onto the elongated support and into operative relation to carton folding mechanism as illustrated and described in my Patent No. 2,694,966. The feed rolls 18, 2G and 40, 42 may be driven through gear trains 44, 46 arranged to mesh with a gear 48 fast on a shaft 50 which is connected to a cam shaft 52, forming a part of the carton forming machine, by a chain and sprocket drive 54.

From the description thus far it will be seen that successive uppermost carton blanks are withdrawn from the stack and are carried upwardly and forwardly from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 4 by the movement of the parallel linkage transfer mechanism 22 to advance the blanks to the feed rolls and the carton forming mechanism. In accordance with the present invention, in order to overcome the cleavage of the blanks in the stack one to the other and to assure separation of the uppermost blank from the underlying blanks during the suction feeding operation, a needle retaining unit, indicated generally at 56, is provided which, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, includes a vertically disposed and downwardly spring pressed needle 58 arranged to project into and through two or more of the uppermost blanks at a medial point adjacent the rear marginal edge of the top of the stack. As herein shown, the needle 58 is replaceably attached to a flattened portion of the lower end of a slidably mounted rod 60 by a retaining plate 62 and a screw 64. The rod 60 is slidably mounted in an elongated tubular sleeve member 66 having an exteriorly threaded portion 68 for cooperation with a threaded opening in a transversely extended bar 70 supported by the magazine 12. A spring 72 coiled about a reduced diameter portion of the rod 60 is interposed between the shouldered portion of the rod and an interior shoulder 73 formed at the upper end of the sleeve 66 to provide a constant downward pressure to effect penetration of the needle 58 into the stack. A collar 74 adjustably secured to the rod beyond the top of the sleeve provides a stop engageable with the top of the sleeve to limit the downward movement when the magazine is empty. It will be seen that the effective downward force of the spring 72 may be adjusted by rotating the sleeve 66 in its supporting bar 70 and tightening the locking nut 71.

In practice it was found that in operation the force of the spring alone was not sufiicient to cause the needle to penetrate through more than one of the relatively heavy cardboard carton blanks unless the spring was made so strong that the downward force would cause excessive pressure such as to distort the blanks or cause the forward edges of the blanks to tip upwardly, thus destroying the predetermined level of the top of the stack for cooperation with the transversely aligned suction members 24 engageable with the forward end of the uppermost blank. In order to overcome this difiiculty, provision is made for rocking the needle 58 on its axis each cycle of operation of the suction transfer mechanism to permit the needle to penetrate further into the top of the stack through two or more blanks. As herein shown, this is accomplished by linkage indicated generally at 76 operatively connected between the upper end of the rod 60 and the transfer mechanism 22. The linkage includes an arm 78 secured to a flattened portion at the upper end of the rod 60 by a screw 80 and which is connected at its free end by a universal joint link 82 to the free end of a second arm 84 secured to the hollow pipe 26 carrying the suction cups 24. Thus, in operation, the upward and forward movement of the parallel linkage suction transfer mechanism efiects rocking of the rod and needle in one direction, and return of the transfer mechanism to its initial position effects rocking of the needle in the other direction to cause penetration of the needle through several of the uppermost carton blanks without excessive distortion or tipping of the stack.

From the above description it will be seen that in operation the transversely aligned suction cups 24 engage the forward marginal edges of the uppermost carton blank in the stack and carry the blank upwardly and forwardly whereby to effect tearing of the uppermost blank away from the needle, and since the inherent cleavage of the underlying blank to the uppermost blank requires substantially less force to break than the force required to tear the underlying blank from the needle, the underlying blank will be retained in the stack by the needle, thus efiecting separation of the blanks and assuming withdrawal of but one blank at a time from the stack. In

practice the torn portion, indicated at 85, may occur at one edge of a carton flap in the prescored blank and which is subsequently folded down and covered by an overlying flap in the formed and closed carton so that the torn portion is not visible in the completed carton.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Carton blank feeding apparatus having, in combination, means for supporting a stack of carbon blanks, means for withdrawing and forwardly advancing successive uppermost blanks in the stack, and blank retaining means for preventing withdrawal of more than one blank at a time comprising a needle urged downwardly to project through a plurality of the uppermost blanks in the stack adjacent the rear marginal edges thereof whereby withdrawal and forward advancement of the uppermost blank effects tearing of the rear edge thereof from the hold of the needle, and means for rotating said needle on its axis to eflect deeper penetration thereof into the stack without excessive pressure while the underlying blank is retained by the needle.

2. Carton blank feeding apparatus having, in combination, means for supporting a. stack of carton blanks, means for withdrawing and forwardly advancing successive uppermost blanks in the stack, and blank retaining means for preventing withdrawal of more than one blank at a time comprising a needle urged downwardly to project through a plurality of the uppermost blanks in the stack adjacent the rear marginal edges thereof whereby withdrawal and forward advancement of the uppermost blank effects tearing of the rear edge thereof from the hold of the needle while the underlying blank is retained by the needle, and means for rocking said needle on its axis to eifect penetration of the needle through a plurality of blanks without excessive downward pressure on the rear edge of the stack.

3. Carton blank feeding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the needle is spring pressed downwardly into the stack, and means for adjusting the effective downward force of said spring pressure.

4. Carton blank feeding apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the withdrawing means comprises suction operated means engageable with the forward marginal edge of successive uppermost carton blanks and wherein the means for rocking the needle on its axis includes linkage operatively connected between said needle and said withdrawing and advancing means.

5. Carton blank feeding apparatus having means for withdrawing and forwardly advancing successive uppermost carton blanks from a stack thereof wherein the blanks tend to adhere one to the other, the improvement comprising a spring pressed needle engageable with a rear marginal edge of the stack and urged down wardly to penetrate through a plurality of blanks, and means for periodically rotating said needle back and forth on its axis to effect a relatively deep penetration of the needle without excessive downward pressure, the forward advancing movement of the uppermost blank being withdrawn effecting tearing of the rear marginal edge away from said needle, the underlying blank being retained by said needle to effect separation of the blanks.

6. Carton blank feeding apparatus having, in combination, means for supporting a stack of carton blanks, means for withdrawing successive uppermost carton blanks in the stack comprising a rockingly mounted suction unit having transversely aligned suction cups engageable with the uppermost blank in the stack adjacent the forward marginal edge thereof, means for rocking the suction unit to withdraw the uppermost blank upwardly and forwardly, and blank retaining means for preventing withdrawal of more than one blank at a time by said suction unit comprising a spring pressed needle engageable with the rear marginal edge of said stack and penetrating through a plurality of the blanks, and means for periodically rotating said needle back and forth on its axis to effect a relatively deep penetration without excessive downward pressure, the suctional grip on the uppermost blank being withdrawn effecting tearing of the rear marginal edge of the blank away from said needle during the forward rocking movement of said suction unit, and the underlying blank being retained in the stack by the penetration of said needle.

7. Carton blank feeding apparatus having, in combination, means supporting a stack of carton blanks, means for withdrawing successive uppermost blanks from the stack, and blank retaining means for preventing withdrawal of more than one blank at a time from the stack References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ray Nov. 5, 1912 Broadmeyer May 6, 1924 

